Notebook - Laptop Touchpad

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Many of us are using laptop or notebook computers more and more every day. They are just so handy in certain circumstances, but they do require some getting used to. Even one with a wide screen and a full keyboard including number pad, requires a different typing procedure if you touch type. Some of the lesser used keys may be in a different location.

Then there's the mouse. Well some people attach a regular mouse to their notebook right away, to make it feel normal. Yes, notebook computers have that funny little touch pad that is supposed to take care of mouse duties.

As you know, I am a keyboard person, but there are times when the mouse - or the touchpad - have to be used. I think a lot of people under use, and under estimate the capability of the touchpad. This is mostly because they don't take the time to set it up, but leave it at the factory defaults. It doesn't do much that way, but if you go into the touchpad properties, found under Control Panel>Mouse>Device settings, you will find a long list of settings where you can customize the touchpad for your personal use.

You really can make the touchpad a useful device with a little tweaking and setting, and with practise you will become faster than using a normal usb attached mouse. You can customize or personalize your mouse to your specific needs and comfort.

For example, here is how I have the touchpad set up on my own notebook computer.

* By dragging your finger slowly up or down across the right side of he touchpad it will scroll the pages. However this is a little jerky.

*But if I tap the Left Bottom corner of the touch pad, it starts Autoscroll, with the little double arrow symbol and this allows a very smooth scroll by moving my finger up or down the touch pad.

* If I tap the Top Left Corner of the touch pad, it gives me a 'middle click'. This comes in handy when surfing the web with Firefox. If I tap the Top Left Corner while pointing to a url, it opens it in a new tab.

* Tapping the Lower Right corner of the touchpad gives me the Right Click Menu, which is handy at times.

* Tapping the Top Right Corner of the touchpad minimizes the window I am working in. Tapping it again brings the window back to full screen. You can maximize any window in this fashion so long as the mouse pointer is over the window you want larger.

* With the pointer on the title bar of a window or file, a double tap with the finger then lets me drag and drop the item. A single tap drops it where you want. This is called Drag Lock and is located in the touchpad settings.

One final tip, if you use your eyes, look at the point where you want the pointer to be, and move your finger on the touchpad to that point, it works much quicker and is more accurate than placing your finger on the pad and watching the pointer move from here to there.

So give that touchpad a chance. Use its programming capabilities and customize it to your liking by going to Mouse>Device Settings in Control Panel. You will become very fast with a little practise, and you always have it with you with no hookup required.

Sure, the touchpad also has those two little buttons for Left Click and Right Click, but doing it from the pad is so much quicker - and easier. Try it, I'm sure you will like it.

(Note: no mouse, real or otherwise, was touched during the writing of this piece.)